Environmental Factor, October 2010, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

New opportunities in autism research

By Ed KangOctober 2010

Issac Pessah, Ph.D., veteran grantee from the University of California, Davis, is joined by Cindy Lawler, Ph.D., health scientist administrator in the Cellular, Organ and Systems Pathobiology Branch in the NIEHS Division of Extramural Research and Training. In leading the discussion, Lawler stressed the value of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints in light of a complex disease that is “not one autism, but many autisms.”
(Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)

Geraldine Dawson, Ph.D., chief science officer for Autism Speaks, called autism a “public health crisis.” She said, “Autism was considered a rare condition, and now we see it is the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder today - a 600 percent increase in the last two decades.” This year, more children will be diagnosed with autism than diabetes, childhood cancer and cystic fibrosis combined.
(Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)

Experts from various fields contribute to the autism discussion. Pictured left to right are Ray Tice, Ph.D., chief of the NTP Biomolecular Screening Branch; Tom Knudsen, Ph.D., a biologist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Center for Computational Toxicology; and Lisa Boulanger, Ph.D., assistant professor of molecular biology at Princeton.
(Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)

Researchers and advocates came together Sept. 8 to offer new strategies and opportunities for progress in autism research. The meeting, titled “Autism and the Environment: New Ideas for Advancing the Science,” was held at NIEHS' Keystone building and sought to bring the lessons learned from other fields to bear on the unique challenges of autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Scientists and patient and parent advocates from within the field of autism had a rare opportunity to brainstorm with those experienced in other disorders with environmental risk factors, including Parkinson's disease and breast cancer. Ultimately, the recommendations of the panel will inform future research initiatives and activities (see text box).

“The impetus for the meeting is the recognition that a more concerted and strategic effort is needed to accelerate progress in understanding environmental contributors to autism, so we can both prevent and intervene,” said Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., director of NIEHS and the National Toxicology Program. “Our goal is to identify novel opportunities and mechanisms to accelerate research guided by the recent advances in autism, emerging tools and technologies in environmental health sciences, and analogies to successful approaches used in other environmentally mediated diseases.”

The session was co-sponsored by Autism Speaks (http://www.autismspeaks.org/), a non-profit group that raises awareness of ASD and sponsors autism-related research.

As a starting point for future activities, a report of the meeting's discussion points will be shared with the NIH Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee and the public, through the NIEHS and Autism Speaks Web sites.

A complete list of meeting participants is available online.

(Ed Kang is a public affairs specialist in the Office of Communications and Public Liaison and a regular contributor to the Environmental Factor.)

Panelists ponder epidemiological approaches in autism research while Igor Burstyn, Ph.D, far left, an associate professor of environmental and occupational health at the Drexel University, quipped, “Why do epidemiologists get all the hard questions?” Also pictured, left to right, are Serena Dudek , Ph.D., principal investigator in the NIEHS Laboratory of Neurobiology; Caroline Tanner, M.D., Ph.D., director of clinical research at the Parkinson's Institute; and, Glenn Rall, Ph.D., associate professor at the Fox Chase Cancer Center.
(Photo courtesy of Steve McCaw)

Looking ahead in autism research

Charged with identifying the best opportunities for accelerating research to better understand the role environment plays in autism, the group offered many possibilities:

Hypothesis-driven science in parallel with discovery science.

Interdisciplinary research that encourages interaction of epidemiologists and clinicians with basic scientists.

The Environmental Factor is produced monthly by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) (http://www.niehs.nih.gov/), Office of Communications and Public Liaison. The text is not copyrighted, and it can be reprinted without permission. If you use parts of Environmental Factor in your publication, we ask that you provide us with a copy for our records. We welcome your comments and suggestions. (bruskec@niehs.nih.gov)